Cultural Assessment - Culture Outline Format
I. Origins / Early Cultural Development
A. Western Theory
B. Origin Story
C. Creation Story
II. Traditional Culture
A. Language
- Phylum
- Family
- Division
B. Culture Area
C. Settlement
D. Subsistence
E. Economy
F. Social Organization
G. Political Organization
H. Kinship
I. Gender Relations
J. Marriage and Family
K. Religion
L. World View
M. Appearance
N. Material Culture
III. History of Contact
IV. Contemporary Culture
A. Current vs. Traditional Homelands
B. Political Status
C. Economic Status
D. Population
E. Health
F. Education
It is my belief that history is just a series of stories about real people. For this research
project you are to choose one Native American tribe (except those listed on the following page)
and tell me their story. Your paper should reflect the above outline but should not itemize the
various elements – use a narrative (First or Third Person) format only. Do not use headings for
each section – use transition sentences. In telling the story of your chosen tribe, feel free to
add interesting information not included in the outline and to offer a fresh perspective
regarding their culture, history, etc.
The paper should be typed with 12-pt font, a minimum of 7 full pages to 10 pages in
length, standard margins, and free of grammatical, spelling, and typing errors. You must use a
minimum of five sources in your research, two of which must be primary sources. A
bibliography listing all five sources (or more) is required, with primary and secondary sources
clearly delineated. If you cite sources in your paper, you must also include a Works Cited page
or provide citations in endnotes/footnotes. Cover pages, the bibliography, and Works Cited
page do not count as part of the 7-10 page requirement. Your paper must be submitted
through the Cultural Assessment portal no later than 8:00 A.M. September 24. Since the paper
will also be reviewed by Canvas' anti-plagiarism tool, remember to only use your own words.
Remember, NO LATE PAPERS ARE ACCEPTED.
We will be working on cultural assessments for several tribes throughout the semester
so you should feel very comfortable working on your own research project. I have also provided
sample cultural assignments for the Comanche and Mandan that will give you an idea of the
different types of information that are available. Please review the following list to see which
tribes you may not use for your research project. These are tribes that we will be covering
during the semester, typically as homework assignments.
Native American Tribes Not Available for the Research Project.
Culture Area Excluded Tribe
Arctic Aleut
Inuit
Subarctic Western Woods Cree
Plateau Nez Perce
Northwest Coast Kwakiutl
Great Basin Owens Valley Paiute
Chemehuevi
California Yokuts
Chumash
Southwest Hopi
Navajo
Rarámuri
Plains Pawnee
Cheyenne
Northeast Iroquois
Ottawa
Southeast Cherokee
Natchez
Sample Solution